Thanks to a 10-1 record in their last 11 games, the first-place Astros are firmly in the buy camp before tomorrow’s trade deadline. But that lead is relatively small, only 1.5 games entering Sunday’s finale against the Rangers. It wouldn’t take much to slide back down the standings, with both Texas and Seattle within striking distance. And Houston’s roster would benefit from some upgrades in various positions. Another starting pitcher would be great. Even with Bryan Abreu pitching well once again, the bullpen could benefit from another right-handed leverage reliever. But the biggest need for this team is probably to shore up the outfield, where not much has gone right.
At this point, it truly doesn’t matter if any outfielder hits right- or left-handed. The Astros are in desperate need of any upgrade. Laars Nootbar has been one name mentioned lately online. The Rockies have a couple of outfielders that they can trade. The question is the price tag and whether Dana Brown would meet it. And there is the other discussion about whether he should meet it.
But this team has placed itself in a position to compete for a division title. A 1.5-game lead in early August means something. In fact, FanGraphs now lists the Astros as having the highest odds of making the playoffs within the AL West (50.6%) and winning the division (36.3%).
These odds will certainly change. There’s still plenty of baseball left to play, with the Rangers and Mariners also having legitimate chances. The trade deadline might play an important role. Regardless, the Astros have played themselves back into the conversation, which felt like an unlikely outcome even just a couple of weeks ago.
Rangers @ Astros Game Information and Gamethread Details
The Astros enter Sunday with an aim of sweeping the Rangers, hopefully further strengthening their hold on the AL West. Peter Lambert gets the start.
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Feature photo from Astros on X
